About the Celebrity Cast − Emily Deschanel (Bones) McDonaldsCruelty.com − James Cromwell (Jurassic World, L.A. Confidential, Babe) − Daisy Fuentes (Model, TV Host) Celebrity TV Ad − John Salley (NBA Basketball Champion) − Moby (Musician, DJ) − Alison Pill (Star Trek, The Newsroom, Vice) − Daniella Monet (Victorious, Baby Daddy, Ariana Grande: Thank U, Next) − Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights, Kingdom, Parenthood) Days before McDonald’s annual shareholder meeting on May − Kimberly Elise (John Q, The Manchurian Candidate, Star) 23, a cast of 25 celebrities are urging the company in a new TV − Joshua Leonard (Unsane, Scorpion, The Blair Witch Project) ad to adopt a comprehensive chicken welfare policy. The cast − Emma Kenney (Shameless, The Connors) includes Moby, Emily Deschanel, James Cromwell, Kimberly − Alexandra Paul (Baywatch, Christine, Dragnet) Elise, Matt Lauria, Joanna Krupa, Daisy Fuentes, John Salley, − Devon Werkheiser (Ned’s Declassified School Guide, Crown Vic, Greek) and Alison Pill. (full list right) − Stephanie Corneliussen (Mr. Robot, Legion) − Rick Cosnett (The Flash, The Vampire Diaries, Quantico) Late last year, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, − James Kyson (Heroes, Walk to Vegas) Joaquin Phoenix, and more than 15 other celebrities also called − Allison Scagliotti (Stitchers, The Vampire Diaries, Warehouse 13) on McDonald’s to change its animal welfare standards. − Josh Zuckerman (90210, Desperate Housewives) − Mark Hapka (Days of Our Lives, Ghost Whisperer) The new TV ad, produced by Mercy For Animals, will air − Joanna Krupa (Dancing with the Stars, The Real Housewives of Miami) for two weeks in the Chicago media market (McDonald’s is − Kelley Jakle (Pitch Perfect, Pitch Perfect 2, Pitch Perfect 3) headquartered in Chicago). − Juan Pablo Di Pace (Fuller House, Dancing with the Stars) − Richard Cabral (Mayans M.C., American Crime) Mercy For Animals has also produced a Spanish-language − Ignacio Serricchio (Lost in Space, Bones, The Young and the Restless) version of the TV ad. Download both versions here. − Andrew Keegan (10 Things I Hate About You, 7th Heaven, Party of Five) MercyForAnimals.org Quotes What’s wrong with chickens raised for McDonald’s? “If McDonald’s customers knew the truth behind McNuggets, they’d be horrified. We’re a nation of animal lovers—we must − Chickens are bred to grow so large so fast that their legs do better. Join me in telling McDonald’s to stop allowing this and organs often can’t support them. animal abuse.” − Tens of thousands of chickens are crammed together into unsanitary, dark sheds for their entire lives. —Moby − Without any requirement to provide perches, birds can’t get up off the ground and may be forced to sit, eat, and sleep in their own waste. “Why doesn’t McDonald’s care about where its meat comes − Trapped in barren sheds with little environmental from? Its so-called Happy Meals are made from abused enrichment, chickens are unable to engage in most natural chickens who are kept in terrible conditions and forced to grow behaviors. so large so quickly that they cannot support their own weight. Tell McDonald’s to stop this cruelty.” Nearly 300,000 customers have called on McDonald’s to end these abuses. —Joanna Krupa Learn more here. “The world is waking up to how factory farms hurt animals and the responsibility food companies have to change the system. This is why I’m calling on McDonald’s to reduce the suffering of What are McDonald’s competitors animals and why I’ve also invested in plant-based companies doing on this issue? creating the future of food.” More than 120 food companies have committed to —John Salley comprehensive chicken welfare standards, including some of McDonald’s largest competitors, such as Burger King, Subway, Starbucks, Chipotle, and Denny’s. “Businesses have the power to change the world for good, which is why I’ve invested in plant-based food companies, like Outstanding Foods and Sugar Taco. But we also need to See a list of them here. hold powerful businesses like McDonald’s accountable to treat animals better. I hope they listen.” About the coalition —Daniella Monet Animal protection groups, including Mercy For Animals, Animal Equality, The Humane League, Compassion in World Farming, “Chickens raised for McDonald’s are bred to grow so large Compassion Over Killing, and World Animal Protection, have so fast that many cannot even walk without pain, and they’re united in a coalition to ask McDonald’s to implement science- packed tightly into dark, barren warehouses. More than 120 based higher welfare standards for its chicken supply chain by food companies have committed to ending these abuses, switching to healthier breeds of birds, providing more room for as they know consumers expect stronger animal welfare the chickens to move, monitoring air and litter quality in barns, standards. But McDonald’s has failed to act. We’re proud and providing environmental enrichment. Bloomberg, Politico, to stand with more than 25 celebrities and nearly 300,000 Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, The Independent, consumers in urging McDonald’s to catch up.” Crain’s Chicago Business, and other outlets have covered McDonald’s lack of a comprehensive chicken welfare policy. —Leah Garcés, president of Mercy For Animals More information is available at the coalition’s website. MercyForAnimals.org.